Garment-hanger.



No. 664,332 Patented n00. l8, I900;

J. C. MESSINGER.

GARMENT HANGER.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1900.)

'(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. MESSINGER, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA.

GARM ENT-HANG ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,332, dated December 18, 1900. Application filedFebruary 10,1900. SerialNo. 4.797. on model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. Mnssmonn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of Northamp ton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Hangers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to garment-hangers, and particularly to that class in which the hangers are adapted to hold an entire suit, and has for its object the production of an economical convenient compact adjustable folding device, as will be fully set forth in the description and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my invention, some of the parts being broken away and others detached in order to clearly illustrate the construction; and Fig. 2, a detail.

In the articles of this kind now on the market the clamp which holds the trousers or skirt is made integral with the hanger, and I have devised a clamp which is detachable from the coat-form, into which the articles can be clamped and then the whole hung in place in the coat-form. The coat-holder is provided with a collar-form, which prevents the collar and portion between the shoulders from sagging and becoming creased, and has adjustable arms adapted to enter the upper parts of the coat-sleeves. The coat-form is composed of three members-a central member 1, comprising two tubes 2, connected at or near their ends by cross-braces 3. These braces 3 connect the tubes 2 at the top and for retaining the clamp, and at the same time act as a brace for the tubes 2. In the crossbraces 3 I cut slots into which I secure loops or eyes 4, and into these eyes are sprung the ends of the collar-form 6, which is made of wire and the requisite shape to conform to the collar of the coatthat is, the wire rises and is bent forward from its hinge-points, so as to form a somewhat U-shaped bend, which bend forms a suspending-eye through which the hook 7 is passed. This collar-form rotates in the eyes 1 and can be folded down against the middle member.

At the center of the collar-form I secure a hook 7 and a chain 8, which chain is also secured to one of the tubes 2, the collar-form and the chain suspending the middle member from the hook 7, thus forming a substantial support. In the tubes 2 of the middle member are adjustable sliding yokes 9, consisting of U-shaped wires, that permit the coat-hanger to be adjusted to different widths of shoulders. I have shown these as straight U-shaped yokes; but they may be given any desired curvature, so as to conform more nearly to the form of the garment to be hung over them, the essential feature being a wire whose free ends are slidable in a pair of tubes.

The clamp above referred to is constructed as follows: On tWostruck-up pieces l0,which are made with grooves 12 intermediate their ends, I form lugs 11 at or near the top. Said struck-up pieces are nailed or screwed to the board 14 or main member of the clamp. The grooves 12 have soldered or otherwise fastened to them a rack 13. This may be conveniently made of a bent wire provided with swaged teeth and perforated on the .end, through which a tack may be driven to hold it in place, as shown at 16. On the front board 15, which is removable, I secure a pair of laterally-movable spring-operated pins or bars 17, one end adapted to engage the teeth on the racks 13 and the other ends bent into eyes 18, which may be pinched together against the stress of a spring 19. Said spring 19 is held in place by a yoke 20, having slots 21, in which the bent-up ends of the rods 17 are guided and held upright. As an additional security to keep the spring in place I drive a staple or nail between the coils near corrugations in the side members.

the middle of the spring. To prevent the spring 19- from pushing the rods 17 entirely out of the guide-slots 21, I use one or more retaining straps, wires, or staples 22, which securely hold'the rods to the removable board of the clamp.

The operation is as follows: The clamp being removed,the yokes or end members 9 are adj usted,as desired,in the tubes of the middle member and the coat and vest hung thereon, the collar-form 6 keeping the garment in its natural shape. Taking hold of the eyes 18, which form handles, I press them together to withdraw the beveled ends of the rods 17 from the racks 13. The skirt or trousers are laid on the main member 14', and the removable member 15 is pressed down on them, the spring 19 pushing the rods 17 into the teeth of the racks 13, and when the removable member is pressed down'tightly against the main member the pressure will be sufficient to hold several garments.

It is of course understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and that equivalents may be substituted for the various parts-as, for instance, instead of the rack-teeth I may use perforations or veniently make the tubes and cross-pieces forming the middle member of asingle piece of metal struck upfrom a sheet-metal blank and in a similar manner can make the two side pieces 10 and back 14 of a single piece.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Acoat-hanger,comprisinga middle member composed of a pair of tubes, cross-braces connecting and means for suspending the same, in combination with a pair of U -shaped members adjustable in said tubes,-substantially as set forth.

2. In a coat-hanger comprising a middle member composed of a pair of tubes, crossbraces connecting the same and a pair of U- shaped wire members adjustable in said tubes, substantially as set forth.

3. In a coat-hanger, the combination with a sheet-metal member comprising a pair of tubes, cross-braces and seat members, of end wires slidable in said tubes and a garmentclamp, hung below and from said seat members, substantially as described.

4. In a coat-hanger, a sheet-metal member comprising a pair of tubes, cross-braces, and seat members formed below said cross-braces and provided with a depression or seat, end wires slidable in said tubes and a garmentclamp adapted to rest in said seat, substantially as described.

.5. In a coat-hanger, a sheet-metal member comprising a pair of tubes, cross-braces, and seat members provided with a depression or seat, below said cross-braces; in combination with extension members in said tubes a garment-cl'amp having end lugs thereon adapted to rest in the seats, substantially as described.

I con- 6. The combination with a coat-form, of a wire frame having an upward and forward bend for supporting the collar of the coat, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a coat-form, of a wire collar-form secured to the back of said coat-form and bent forward over the center of said coat-form, substantially as described.

8. In a coat-hanger, the combination with a coat-form of a wire collar-form hinged to said coat-hanger to support the latter, substantially as set forth.

9. In a coat-hanger, the combination with a coat-form, of a collar-form hinged thereto, a chain connecting said coat-form and the middle'of the collar-form, substantially as set forth.

10. In a coat-hanger, the combination with a middle member, of a wire collar-form hinged thereto, an eye and a hook therein, a chain connecting said hook and coat-form, and wire side members adjustable in the middle member, substantially as set forth. 7

11. In a garment-hanger the trousers-clamp comprising a pair of boards, metallic end plates secured to one of said boards, suspending-lugs, a rack on the end plates, rods held by a spring between them and on the other board and adapted to engage said racks, substantially as described.

12. In a garment-hanger a trousers-clamp comprising a metallic base-plate, ends bent at right angles thereto, racks formed in said ends, lugs on the ends, a cooperating clamping-board,spring-held Wire rods secured there to and adapted to engage the racks, substantially as. described.

13. In a garment-hanger a trousers-clamp comprising two cooperating boards, end members on one of said boards, grooves in said end members, serrated wires in said grooves to form racks and spring-held reciprocable rods secured to the other board having their outer ends guided in grooves and engaging the racks, substantially as described.

, 14. A garment-hanger, comprising a coat form, a hinged collar-form thereon, depending seats below said coat-form, a clamp having cooperating jaws, one of said jaws movable in the other, and lugs on said clamp adapted to take into the seats, substantially as set forth.

15. In a garment-hanger, acoat-form comprising parallel tubes and U shaped end wires slidable therein,depending seat members con necting said' tubes, notches cut in said seat members in front of the seats thereon, in com bination with a clamping member,lugs on said clamping member adapted to pass through the notches and .rest in said seats, substantially as set forth.

16. In a garment-hanger, a coat-form, a hinged collar-form and depending seats on "the coat-form; in combination with a clamp comprising grooved side plates fastened to the base-plate, lugs on said side plates adapted to take into the seats, and a clamping mem- 10 therein, the inner ends of said rods engaged I by the spring and sliding in said slots, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN C. MESSINGER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. S. SNYDER, 1 F. H. BUELL. 

